Folding chair



Sept. 4, 1928. 1,683,327 S. E. BOUHAROUN FOLDING CHAIR Fil ed Oct. 25. 1927 INVEN'ILOR Slima-n Z'. Bo'ulzarozuz #QAJITORII-QIEY- partly collapsed Patented sat. leash v umrnoisrnrs tater rrnnr erre nounnnoun, or warrinnnr r, connno'rrenr.

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Application filed October 25,1221 Serial No. seam.-

This invention relates to furniture, and more particularly to a folding chairwh ich maybe quickly and easily'collapsed into asmall vertical space when not desiredfor use. One object of this invention is to provide a folding chair of the above nature which is -A-further object is to provide a folding chair of the above nature which will be relatively simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to manipulate, ornamental in appearance, and very efiicient and .durable 'in use. N

With these-and other objects in view there have been illustrated on the accompanying drawings, two forms in which the invention may be conveniently embodied in practice.-

Fi' 1 represents a side view of the fold .ing c air as it appears when openedaip ready for use.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the chair'when and showing in dotted lines the appearance of the chair when f illy collapsed. J

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the chair in open position. i Fig. 4 is a side view of the lower portion of a modified form of folding chair having a locking lever mechanism for preventingaccidental collapse. 1 I

Fig. 5 is a front fragmentary view showing the rigid constructionby means'of which the chair legs are mounted in the base frame. Referring now to the drawings'in which like reference numerals denote corresponding partsthroughout the severalviews; the base frame of the folding chair comprises 'a air. of-parallel front and rear strips and 11" adapted to lie flat upon.the floor. The front and rear strips 10 and l1 are connected formed in the upturnedends 16 of the and rear strips 10 and 11.

the upturned ends'16 of the front and rear strips 10 and 11 by pivot pins. 17. In orderto form a rigid support for the lower leg I sections 15, provision "is made of small angle members 17 riveted to said fronti'and rear strips 10 and 11 and lying in contact with the lower ends of the lower leg sections 15, as most clearly shown in Fig 5. In order to limit the pivotal motion of the lower legsections 15, s'aidsections are provided with laterally extending lugs 18, said lugs 18 being adapted to engage in-shouldered recesses '19 front Pivoted to'the tops of the lower leg sec 'tions as by pivot pins 20, are-four upper front and rear leg sections 21, which are also pivoted. by pinsn22 to a horizontal chair seat 23, as clearly shown in the drawing. in The two frontupper leg sections 21 are connected together or producing greater rigid- 'ity by a cross-strip 24: located underneath the chair seat 23, while the two rear upper leg .sections21are rigidly united by a rear rod 25'. t

The lower ends of the iipper legsections121 are provided with lugs 26 siniilar to the lugs 18 and adapted to seat in shouldered recesses 27 in the upper ends of the lower leg sections 15,wliereby the opening pivotal motion or the esointed leg sections will be limitedin such' a 'way that aid legs will be normally inanitained subs antially vertical with the pivot;

pins 20 slightly out of lin'e'with the vertical lme connecting the pivot pins 22 and 1?. By no means of this construction it will be seen that when the chair is in normal open position, the toggle action of the jointed leg sections will prevent it from collapsing.

lnorder to support the arms of the'user, as I provision is inade'oi a pair of flat arm rests 28, each ofsaid. arm rests being pivotally amounted on a pair of frontand rear strips 29 and {50, said strips 29 and 30 being pivoted v t o said-upper leg sections 21 by pins "31.and 3% having lateral 'lugs32 similar to the lugs 18 and 26 for engaging in shouldered recesses l 33 on the tops of said-upper leg sectidns 21. In order to support the back of the person usingthe chair, provision is inade of. aback ice I rest 34 pivotedadjacent its lower end to the chair seat 23, as by apair of hinges 35, said back. rest 34 ,havin brackets ,36. secured thereto on either si e .ofits' lower' end, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The brackets 36. are no connected to said back rest as by screws 37= and are provided with raised ofiset portions together by a pairofparallel side strips 12 and 13, as by rivets 14, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and y y The upper part of the chair is'supported 86 upon four front and rear jointed legs, eachleg comprising a lower section 15 pivoted to 38 in their upper ends. The offset portions 38 carry pivot lugs 39 which fit within slots 40 in the rear ends of connecting links-41.-

The connecting links 41 have their forward ends turned downwardly and pivoted to the' forward upper leg sections 21 by pins 42 lothe seat 23 to the upper ends of the adjacent upper leg sections 21 by two pairs of jointed links 43 and 44.

In operation, when it is desiredto collapse the chair, it will only be necessary for the operator to pull forward upon the back rest 34, swinging it down about its hinges 35 in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 2. This will cause the connecting link 41 to move forwardly forcing the pivot pins 20 of the forward leg sections to move rearwardly. At the same time, the jointed links 43 and 44 will be pulled rearwardly forcing the upper. rear leg sections 21 to rotate in a clockwise direction about their pivot pins 22. This y will cause the central pivot pins 20- of the rear legs to move forwardly. Thechair will thus be permitted to collapse under its own weight and will assume the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. is absorbed by a pair of bumpers 45 of rubher or other resilient material.

WVhen it is desired to unfold the chair, all that is necessary is to lift the seat 23 upwardly, and then swing the back rest 34 rearwardly until the jointed legs assume the open position shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 4, the chair is provided with locking mechanism for preventing the backfrom being swung forwardl until the operator desires to collapse t e chair. This mechanism comprises a pair of arms 46 pivoted to the rear upper leg sections 21 by pins 47 and being provided with forwardly ex,- tending angular slots 48, having upturned front ends 49 for slidably receiving locking lugs 50.

While the present invention is adapted for general use wherever a collapsible chair which folds upinto a small vertical space is desired, it will be found particularly useful in auditoriums, such as motion picture theatres where there is a large fire risk. In case of fire, the handles 51 of the locking levers will be pulled up, whereupon the chairs may be collapsed flat-u on the floor by pulling the backs forwardlytliereby affordingthe audience an unobstructed path to the exits.

While there have been disclosed in this specification two forms in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that these forms are shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosures but may be modified and embodied'in various other forms without departing from its spirit.

The shock of the fall In short, the inventionincludes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claims. 7

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new, and for which it is desired to secureLetters Patent, is:

1. In a collapsible chair, a seat, a bottom frame, front and rear vertical jointed legs all pivoted to said seat and said bottom frame, a back hinged tosaid seat, and means operated by the swinging of said back for flexto collapse into a small space upon said frame.

2. In a collapsible chair, a seat, a bottom frame, front and rear vertical jointed legs all pivoted to said seat and said bottom frame, a back hinged to said seat, link members connecting said back with the upper parts of said legs for causing said legs to flex at their joints when the back is swung'forward so as ing said jointed legs and causing said chair to collapse said chairinto a small vertical space upon said frame.

lapsible front and rear legs pivoted to said seat and said bottom frame, a back hinged to saidseat, a link member pivoted to. said back above its seat hinge and to one of said front legs above said seat for causing said front legs dto collapse'when the back is swung forwar Y 3. In a folding chair, a seat, a bottom frame adapted to rest upon the floor, col- 4. In a, folding chair, a seat, a bottom frame adapted to rest upon the floor, collapsible front and rear legs pivoted to said seat and said bottom frame, a back hinged to said seat, a jointed link member pivoted to said back below its "seat hinge and to one of said rear legs above said seat for causing said rear legs to collapse when the back isswung forward.

5. In a folding chair, a bottom frame adapted to rest upon the floor, aseat connected to said frame by jointed front and rear le s, an arm rest located above the planeof said seat, and link members connectmg the ends of said arm rest .to theupper ends of said legs, whereby said-arm rests will move clownwardly'toward said base when the legs are flexed for collapsing said chair.

' 6. In a folding chair, a bottom frame adapted to rest upon the floor, a seat, front and-rear legs for supportin said seat, said legs comprising lower sections pivoted to said frame and upper sections pivoted to said lower sections and to said seat, and an arm rest located above the planeofsaid seat, link members connecting the ends of said arm rest to the upper ends of said legs, whereby said arm rests will move downwardly. toward said base when the legs are flexed for collap'sing said chair.

7. In a folding chair, a seat, a bottom frame adapted to rest upon the floor, collapsible front and rear legs ivoted to said seat and said. bottom frame, a ackhinged to said seat,

- {ointed link member pivoted to said back' ielow its seat hinge and to one of said rear legs above sald seat for causmg said rear legs to collapse whenthe back is swung ior ward. a

8. In a collapsible chair, a seat, a bottom frame, front and rear jointed legs all pivoted to said seat and said bottom frame,

- comprising an arm having an angu means for flexing said jointed le s to permit said-.seat to move down upon sai frame into collapsed position, locking means to render said flexing means inoperative until it is desired to collapse the chair; said lookin means ar slot pivoted to one of said rear legs, and apin mounted on one of said front legs adapted to slide in the slot of said arm.--

In testimony whereof, I have aflixed my signature to this specification.

SLIMAN E. BOUHAROUN. 

